InfoSci®-Journals Annual Subscription Price for New Customers: As Low As US$ 4,950

This collection of over 175 e-journals offers unlimited access to highly-cited, forward-thinking content in full-text PDF and XML with no DRM. There are no platform or maintenance fees and a guarantee of no more than 5% increase annually.

Receive the complimentary e-books for the first, second, and third editions with the purchase of the Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Fourth Edition e-book. Plus, take 20% off when purchasing directly through IGI Global's Online Bookstore.

Abstract

Architecture, engineering, and construction industries maintain a long standing desire to enhance design communication through various forms of 3D CAD modeling. In spite the introduction of Building Information Modeling (BIM), designers and builders expect varying amounts of communication loss once construction has started due to indirect construction techniques or hand based methods to manufacture buildings. This is especially true for houses and small structures, buildings that makeup the core of villages and suburbs. Unfortunately, paper documentation and reading 3D CAD models on screen continue the trend of indirect production defined in most manufacturing industries as error. The emerging application of CAD/CAM within design and construction industries provides hope for elevated communication between design and building. With CAD/CAM, it is possible to manufacture buildings of all types and sizes directly from CAD files similar to mass produced artifacts, thus reducing complexity in communication between parties. This chapter is presentation of one process of direct manufacturing from CAD and the emerging possibilities for small building production using digital fabrication. The chapter will focus on houses to illustrate the potential of direct manufacturing of buildings from CAD data.

2. Industrialized Manufacturing

As we stand at the threshold of new demands for energy-efficient green homes, we are also faced with the need for advanced systems that control design and home delivery. More than ever before, consumers expect new homes to perform in ways similar to mechanical products like automobiles, computers, and airplanes. Demands for increased building performance, reduction in cost, and speed in delivery all drive the desire for homes to be built in controlled environments.